Supporting Lion Monitoring in Niassa

Since the beginning of 2025, MWA’s veterinary team has been working in close collaboration with the Niassa Carnivore Project to support the long-term monitoring of lions in Niassa Special Reserve - one of the last remaining strongholds for lions in Mozambique and across Africa.

So far this year, the team has successfully immobilized 8 lionesses (adults and sub-adults):

• 5 fitted with replacement collars

• 3 with new collars as part of an expanded monitoring effort

These collars are essential for understanding lion movement, behaviour, and threats - allowing conservation teams to respond with data-backed strategies that protect both lions and the ecosystem they anchor.

But this work hasn’t happened in ideal conditions. The start of the year brought real instability, with insurgent activity disrupting parts of the reserve and forcing teams to work under heightened security and uncertainty.

That the work continued at all is a testament to the resilience, coordination, and commitment of field teams who remained focused on the mission - despite the risks.

Special thanks to the Lion Recovery Fund and ANAC for their support in keeping this program going where it’s needed most.